The perfectly cooked egg

[tvguy]

A hard boiled egg is overcooked if it looks like the yolk is outlined with a grey ring. I've seen many overcooked hard boiled eggs.

I've never seen a hard boiled egg without a grey ring, so I must always have over cooked egges, including store bought. Actually, one of the ones I had today had the grey ring but the very center of the yolk wasn't completely cooked.

 

[Immadismom]

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned steamed eggs. DFIL recently taught me this, and I will never hard cook an egg another way. No special appliance needed, just a steamer basket for your pot. Put 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pot, bring to a boil with eggs in the steamer basket. Cover, let steam for 16 minutes. Put the under cold water immediately. I have never had one not peel easily & cleanly, regardless of the age of the eggs. Easy peasy!

 

[joannamet]

We eat soft boiled eggs for breakfast almost every day. They're usually perfectly soft boiled and easy to peel.
For perfect soft boiled eggs:
1. boil enough water to cover the eggs
2. when water boils lower eggs into pot gently
3. start timer immediately; 7 minutes for large eggs, soft boiled; for larger eggs add 30 seconds; for hard boiled add 1 minute
4. when time is up remove and cover with cold water

You can experiment with the time to get the eggs the way you want them.

 

[Dinohood]

my dad found a recipe for perfect hard boiled eggs which uses 1Tbs salt and 1/4 distilled white vinegar in the water when you cook them for 14 minutes and then put in a ice bath with running cold water on them for 15 minutes.

 

[Squirlz]

My Wife makes a perfect poached egg in the microwave. Crack it into a small pyrex dish and nuke for 55 seconds. Time will vary with the wattage of your microwave.

 

[jacki123]

It drove me nuts how much egg we lost when they didn't peel easily so I tried tons of different ways. My way that works every time, is first boil the water, then drop the cold eggs in, cook for 3 minutes, once the water simmers again. Then shut off the heat, cover and sit for 20 minutes. Not only do the eggs not have the dreaded ring, the shells always slip off easily.

 

[tvguy]

my dad found a recipe for perfect hard boiled eggs which uses 1Tbs salt and 1/4 distilled white vinegar in the water when you cook them for 14 minutes and then put in a ice bath with running cold water on them for 15 minutes.

Even with our drought over I can't imagine leaving water run for 15 minutes to cool eggs.

 

[robinb]

My Wife makes a perfect poached egg in the microwave. Crack it into a small pyrex dish and nuke for 55 seconds. Time will vary with the wattage of your microwave.

In water, right?

 

[Tinijocaro]

I've never seen a hard boiled egg without a grey ring, so I must always have over cooked egges, including store bought. Actually, one of the ones I had today had the grey ring but the very center of the yolk wasn't completely cooked.

Pressure cooked eggs always have the prettiest yellow yolk. No gray.

 

[disney4us2002]

Well I haven't seen this listed yet so I will share. So far this has been the only way I NEVER have trouble peeling the shell. Add a lemon wedge to the cold water right at the start and be sure you don't have too many eggs for the amount of water. This method has worked for old and new eggs. It must be a lemon wedge - not lemon juice.

 

[Wishing on a star]

By almost every reputable account... eggs should be started in fresh cold water.
And, about the dark ring/exterior to the yolk...
Try simmering at a lower temperature. I do believe that the higher temperature affects this. Not necessarily over-cooking.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OP here, so interesting to see how many different ways everyone uses to cook their eggs!

I think this guy is onto something. For years I cooked eggs by putting them into boiling water carefully and shells came off relatively easily. The thing I didn't like was when some cracked and made a big mess in the water, and some were wasted (or the dog got the cracked ones). So it was fairly recently we started using the cold water method. That could be the issue. I'll have to play around with it some more.

I like that people have good results with pressure cookers and instapots and gadgets, but, knowing myself, I probably won't use things like that even if I buy them. (Nice to come to that realization after so many years of buying things but never using them.)

I do have pretty good results using the microwave. If I'm doing a quick egg sandwich I take a small bowl, spray it with a light coating of non-stick spray, crack an egg in there, then microwave it for about a minute or so, to desired doneness. (That's how Dunkin Donuts does it for their egg sandwiches.) I also do quick scrambled eggs in there, just stir after they cook a bit, then cook a little longer. I know some people do omelette in the microwave for a quick, healthy breakfast.

My MIL made a baked egg dish it was really good, kind of light. Just make likeoyour making scrambled eggs but put them in an oblong baking dish. Add veggies like onions and peppers (or whatever you like), then bake.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

There's a difference between an egg being cooked "perfectly" (as in done), and it easily being shelled...

As to how I cook hard boiled eggs: Eggs in cold water. Let the water boil. Turn off heat, cover for 11 minutes.

Soft boiled eggs: Bring water to boil. Add eggs, lower to simmer, cook 6 minutes.

 

[Squirlz]

In water, right?

Right. I forgot that.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I do think I might invest in one of those things you lower the eggs into the water with, if I can find one somewhere. It might help prevent cracking if I put them into boiling water.

 

[porschegrl]

Well I haven't seen this listed yet so I will share. So far this has been the only way I NEVER have trouble peeling the shell. Add a lemon wedge to the cold water right at the start and be sure you don't have too many eggs for the amount of water. This method has worked for old and new eggs. It must be a lemon wedge - not lemon juice.

It didn't occur to me until I read your post, but "old" and "new" are subjective. From my POV (having my own chickens in my backyard), most eggs right off the grocery store shelf are leaning toward "old" already!

 

[single_eeyore]

I just read this whole thread and it fascinates me to see so many different methods of boiling eggs

I'll add mine in too - I don't use any gadgets or timers...my family has always eaten a lot of eggs cooked all different ways, and yes, we've boiled a ton of them! My mom taught me (how her mom taught her) how to tell if the egg is "done" (hard-boiled) just by looking at it. I put my eggs in cold water and boil them. Every now and then I'll check them by grabbing one out of the pan on a spoon and holding it up to the light above the range. When the water on the egg has evaporated by the time you raise it to eye level - it's hard-boiled (soft boiled is a slight amount of water left on the shell when it gets to eye level). Then the water in the pan replaced with cold. It sounds very un-scientific, especially for me (if you all knew me lol), but I swear it works for us every time. The great thing about this method is that my mom and I can cook interchangeably (we do lots of big, extended-family-included meals with deviled eggs) and it seems like whenever a pot of eggs is boiling someone pipes in and asks for a few for a salad/breakfast/just to eat and you have to add a few more in the pot and with this method that's no big deal as long as each egg is checked before it goes under the cold water. And yes, my dad teases my mom or I if we ever have eggs with the grey ring...it's a sign of shame in our kitchen lol.

I may try out the IP ideas though...I had no idea there was such a following for the things - I've contemplated one, but it just seemed like another gadget I probably wouldn't use much. (I have always used a traditional pressure cooker from time to time.)

 

[mrsstats]

I bought the egg maker from QVC. Never a problem now with peeling a hard boiled egg. You can also do poached, soft boiled and an omelette. We use it at work all the time.

 

[2binak]

I put the eggs in cold water. Once it starts to boil, I set a timer for 10 mins. At the end of 10 mins, I put them in ice water for a few mins. They peel easily and are cooked perfectly. I've used this method all my life and my mother cooked them this way too.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I may try out the IP ideas though...I had no idea there was such a following for the things - I've contemplated one, but it just seemed like another gadget I probably wouldn't use much. (I have always used a traditional pressure cooker from time to time.)

The nice thing about the IP is that it is a multi-functional appliance. It works as a slow cooker, I sautee in it, I pressure cook in it. I use it as a rice cooker daily, I make incredible cheesecakes in it. It can take the toughest piece of meat and cook it so tender! So when my crockpot broke, I didn't replace it since I have the IP-same with my rice cooker.